What is the Minnesota law about carrying ID if you are a gun owner?
Executive summary
Minnesota law requires a valid Permit to Carry a Pistol (PCP) to lawfully carry a handgun in public, and a permit holder must carry the permit card plus a government-issued photo ID and produce them to a peace officer on lawful demand; failing to have required ID can be a petty misdemeanor (and state guidance reiterates the ID obligation) [1] [2] [3]. The obligation to inform police about carrying only arises when a peace officer asks; Minnesota’s statutory language and reporting also note that the term “peace officer” is a state definition that does not automatically include federal agents, a point that has driven recent disputes after a high-profile shooting [3] [4].
1. What the law actually requires: carry the permit and photo ID
Minnesota statute and county guidance make clear that the holder of a permit to carry must have the permit card and a driver’s license, state identification card, or other government-issued photo identification in immediate possession at all times while carrying a pistol, and must display both the permit and ID upon lawful demand by a peace officer [2] [5] [6].
2. The penalty for not carrying ID: petty misdemeanor and small fine
Reporting summarizing Minnesota practice says that if a permit-to-carry holder is carrying but does not have the required ID and permit with them, the offense is a petty misdemeanor carrying a nominal fine—reported as $25—rather than a felony or major criminal charge [3].
3. When must a carrier tell police they’re armed: only if asked
Under Minnesota law and as explained by legal commentators and local reporting, a permit holder is not required to volunteer that they are carrying a firearm unless a peace officer asks; at that point the holder must answer truthfully and present permit and photo ID when lawfully demanded [3] [7]. That duty-to-inform is framed around interaction with “peace officers” as defined by state statute [3] [4].
4. The federal vs. state interaction—and why that matters
News coverage of a confrontation involving federal agents highlighted an important wrinkle: Minnesota’s definition of “peace officer” is state-based and does not necessarily include federal agents; federal officials and state law interpret their authorities differently, and that mismatch prompted public debate after the incident [3] [4]. National officials have at times asserted broader prohibitions—such as claims about bringing weapons to protests—that state statutes and local gun-rights groups dispute, leading to competing legal and political narratives [3] [8].
5. Context: permits, open carry, and related requirements
Minnesota operates a “permit to carry” regime that serves as the authorization for both concealed and open carry of handguns in public; a valid permit to carry also functions as a permit to purchase/transfer under state rules, and counties require presentation of photo ID during permit application and issuance [1] [9] [10]. Local sheriff and county pages repeat the basic requirement: bring a valid Minnesota driver’s license or state ID when applying for or carrying under a permit [11] [6].
6. Competing viewpoints and limits of the record
Gun-rights organizations and some local officials emphasize that law-abiding permit holders are protected by the state statutes requiring only permit-plus-ID and a limited duty-to-inform, while federal officials and some national commentators have framed public-safety exceptions (for example, at protests) more broadly; both interpretations are visible in reporting, and the materials reviewed do not resolve federal‑state jurisdictional conflicts or the criminal-law consequences of specific protest-related conduct beyond the statutory ID and permit rules [8] [3].